Open Congress : Featured Members of Congress

July 27, 2011: David Wu

2011-07-27T11:57:34Z

Rep. David Wu [D, OR-1] has announced his plans to resign from Congress in response to allegations that he sexually assaulted the teenage daughter of one of his campaign contributors. In a statement Wu said that he would step down "effective upon the resolution of the debt-ceiling crisis."

David Wu's Profile on OpenCongress

July 01, 2011: Thad McCotter

2011-07-01T17:27:35Z

Rep. Thad McCotter [R, MI-1] is scheduled to officially announce his plans to run for the presidency at a Fourth of July celebration in Michigan on July 2nd. McCotter is a little-known, fairly conservative Republican who serves as chairman of the House Republican Policy Committee. He has voted with Republicans on most major bills, including health care reform, the stimulus package and cap and trade. One major exception, however, is his 2007 vote in favor of the pro-union Employee Free Choice Act. View his full OC profile for more vote, bills, money and bio information.

Thaddeus McCotter's Profile on OpenCongress

June 02, 2011: Anthony Weiner

2011-06-02T20:01:12Z

On May 27th, the Twitter account belonging to Rep. Anthony Weiner [D, NY-9] sent out a graphic image of a man's crotch, including a message directing the image to a female college student. Weiner has repeatedly stated that his Twitter account was hacked and that he did not send the picture. But he has also said that he can't say for sure that the image is not of him.

Anthony Weiner's Profile on OpenCongress

April 22, 2011: Rep. Paul Ryan [R, WI-1]

2011-04-22T07:04:28Z

Budget Committee Chairman Rep. Paul Ryan [R, WI-1] has become one of the most influential House Republicans now that debates over deficits and the debt have taken the main stage. Sine 2008, Ryan has been the leading voice behind the Republicans' vision for lowering taxes, privatizing entitlements, and reducing discretionary spending in all areas except for the military. Most recently, Ryan drafted and won support for an alternative 2012 budget outline that would reduce deficit spending by cutting nearly $6 trillion in spending over the next decade.

Paul Ryan's Profile on OpenCongress

April 22, 2011: John Ensign

2011-04-22T06:48:31Z

Amid an ethics committee investigation, Sen. John Ensign [R, NV] announced on April 22nd that he was resigning his Senate seat effective May 3rd. Ensign had an extramarital affair with the wife of his former top aide, whom he helped secure a lucrative lobbying job for while the affair was still going on. The investigation will be dropped once Ensign is now longer a member of the Senate. Under Nevada law, the governor will appoint a replacement, most likely Rep. Dean Heller [R, NV-2].

John Ensign's Profile on OpenCongress

March 22, 2011: Sen. Claire McCaskill [D, MO]

2011-03-22T10:12:30Z

Sen. Claire McCaskill [D, MO] has recently been the subject of a series of revelations involving unethical air travel. Politico originally reported that McCaskill has charged taxpayers for 89 flights on a plane that she owns, some of which have been for political activities and should not have been paid for with public money. It was subsequently revealed that McCaskill owed almost $300,000 in personal property taxes on the plan, though she has since settled up that bill.

Claire McCaskill's Profile on OpenCongress

February 09, 2011: Jim Webb

2011-02-09T07:05:11Z

First-term senator Jim Webb [D, VA] has announced that he will not seek reelection to a second term in 2012. In a statement Webb said that he would be returning to the private sector, but did not offer more details. Webb's seat is considered very competitive and his retirement increases the chance that Republicans will win it in the next election.

Jim Webb's Profile on OpenCongress

February 03, 2011: Sen. Harry Reid [D, NV]

2011-02-03T09:29:10Z

Having won a tough reelection battle in the 2010 midterms, Sen. Harry Reid [D, NV] is the Majority Leader of the Senate for the fifth year in a row. Under Senate rules, Reid has almost total control over which bills are brought up for votes and which are not. He recently laid out his legislative goals for the 112th Congress by proposing the first ten bills of the session.

Harry Reid's Profile on OpenCongress

February 03, 2011: Ron Paul

2011-02-03T09:15:33Z

Rep. Ron Paul [R, TX-14], the American monetary system's biggest critic in Congress, has taken over the chairmanship of the Financial Services Subcommittee on Domestic Monetary Policy for the 112th session. He is planning on pushing legislation to open the Federal Reserve to full government audits (H.R.459) and ill likely hold hearings on returning to the gold standard and abolishing the Federal Reserve altogether.

Ronald Paul's Profile on OpenCongress

October 18, 2010: Rep. John A. Boehner [R, OH-8]

2010-10-18T05:52:06Z

Following the Republicans' takeover of the House in the 2010 midterms, Rep. John Boehner [R, OH-8], the current Minority Leader, is expected to be Speaker of the House in the next session. Boehner votes with most Republicans 97% of the time. On all votes over the past 2 years, he has voted with a typical rank-and-file Democrat 51% of the time.

John Boehner's Profile on OpenCongress

October 06, 2010: Joe Sestak

2010-10-06T11:37:21Z

After defeating Republican-turned-Democrat Sen. Arlen Specter [D, PA] in the PA Democratic senatorial primary, Rep. Joe Sestak [D, PA-7] is facing a tough race that has attracted a lot of national attention against Republican challenger Pat Toomey. Get more information on the OC RaceTracker wiki -- PA-Sen.

Joe Sestak's Profile on OpenCongress

September 21, 2010: Sen. Lisa Murkowski [R, AK]

2010-09-21T07:33:03Z

After losing in the 2010 Alaska primary to Tea Party candidate Joe Miller, Sen. Lisa Murkowski [R, AK] has decided to run a write-in campaign to keep her seat. As a result, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell [R, KY] took away her position as vice chairwoman of the Senate Republican Conference. “By choosing to run a campaign against the Republican nominee, she no longer has my support for serving in any leadership roles, and I have accepted her letter of resignation from Senate leadership,” McConnell said.

Lisa Murkowski's Profile on OpenCongress

June 21, 2010: Rep. Joe Barton [R, TX-6]

2010-06-21T09:09:45Z

Rep. Joe Barton [R, TX-6], the Ranking Republican on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, is facing heat over his remarks to BP CEO Tony Hayward that the $20 billion escrow fund requested by President Obama is a "a "$20 billion shakedown." Barton also offered Hayward an apology. GOP leaders are threatening to remove Barton from his leadership position depending on what they hear from their constituents on his apology when they go back home to their districts.

Joe Barton's Profile on OpenCongress

June 06, 2010: Blanche Lincoln

2010-06-06T08:36:04Z

Sen. Blanche Lincoln [D, AR] is facing a tough primary run-off against progressive Arkansas Lt. Gov. Bill Halter on Tuesday June 8, 2010. Lincoln has recently been leading the Senate in pushing strong legislation to regulate the financial derivatives market, but it is widely suspected that her leadership on the issue is tied to the primary and that she will cave after Arkansas Democrats vote on June 8.

Blanche Lincoln's Profile on OpenCongress

May 12, 2010: Christopher Dodd

2010-05-12T09:09:04Z

The retiring Sen. Chris Dodd [D, CT] is currently shepherding his financial reform bill -- the Restoring American Financial Stability Act of 2010 -- through the Senate. So far, the Senate has beaten back every amendment that has threatened its carefully-negotiated political balance. Dodd is looking to protect his bill and get it through the Senate as a final legacy action of his 35-year Senate career.

Christopher Dodd's Profile on OpenCongress

May 12, 2010: Alan Mollohan

2010-05-12T09:03:47Z

After serving 14 terms in the House, Rep. Allan Mollohan [D, WV-1] became the first congressman to be defeated in a primary during the 2010 election cycle. Mollohan has been facing ethics allegations regarding his personal finances and earmarking practices. Mollohan's defeat is seen as a zeitgeist for the anti-incumbent sentiment that is expected to dominate the November 2010 mid-term elections.

Alan Mollohan's Profile on OpenCongress

April 12, 2010: Bart Stupak

2010-04-12T14:57:19Z

Rep. Bart Stupak [D, MI-1], who fought the Dem leadership for stronger restrictions against federal funds being used for abortions in the health care bill, announced his plan to retire shortly after backing down on the abortion issue and letting the bill pass. "Last month, we finally accomplished what I set out to do 18 years ago -- we passed comprehensive national health care reform," Stupak said while announcing his retirement. "It's time to begin a new and exciting chapter."

Bart Stupak's Profile on OpenCongress

April 06, 2010: Blanche Lincoln

2010-04-06T08:43:56Z

Sen. Blanche Lincoln [D, AR], Chair of the Agriculture Committee, is taking over the derivatives section of the Senate's Financial reform bill. She is expected to hold a mark-up the week of April 12, 2010. Statements she made recently at a Chamber of Commerce event indicate that she plans to go relatively easy on Wall Street and add exemptions to clearing and exchange trading requirements.

Blanche Lincoln's Profile on OpenCongress

March 08, 2010: Jim Bunning

2010-03-08T08:59:09Z

The retiring Sen. Jim Bunning [R, KY] thrust himself into the national spotlight in early March when he repeatedly blocked unanimous consent agreements on passing a bill to extend unemployment insurance benefits. His objection was over the Democrats' decision to designate the funding as "emergency" and exempt it from Pay-Go requirements. Bunning relented and allowed the bill to pass after Majority Leader Reid allowed for a vote on an amendment of his, which was rejected by a vote of 43-53.

Jim Bunning's Profile on OpenCongress

February 26, 2010: Rep. Charles B. Rangel [D, NY-13]

2010-02-26T07:20:50Z

The powerful House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Rep. Charles Rangel [D, NY-15] has been found by the House Ethics Committee to have violated ethics rules by improperly accepting trips to the Caribbean in 2007 and 2008 from corporations that employ lobbyists. He has been asked to repay the cost of the trips, and some Democrats have already started calling for him to give up his Ways and Means gavel.

Charles Rangel's Profile on OpenCongress